


bloom.

by cb97



Category: GOT7
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, M/M, Mild Language, also youngjae wears skirts bc fuck the system, lapslock
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-31
Updated: 2016-01-31
Packaged: 2018-05-17 11:37:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5867791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cb97/pseuds/cb97
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>jackson moves his hand upwards, his finger pointing to a bouquet of pink flowers on a shelf. </p><p>“what about that one?”</p><p>“sweet briar roses, they mean simplicity.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	bloom.

**Author's Note:**

> okay so i got all the flower meanings from [this](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant_symbolism) wikipedia page so sorry if there are inaccuracies
> 
> also i will cry this is exactly 2k words
> 
> **disclaimer: i'm not rly into got7 anymore but i don't wanna take this down... just be aware of that thanks & enjoy **

there’s a person that comes into the flower shop everyday, who spends all of five minutes inside before leaving. he has blonde hair and and his hands are in his pockets at all times. he always looks at the flowers for a few minutes before stepping back outside. he’s never bought anything.

(youngjae stops working and starts watching the stranger like a hawk whenever he comes inside. youngjae thinks he’s a thief, but mark doesn’t have the patience to explain that nobody would try to steal _flowers._ )

✽

the fifteenth day the person walks into the shop is the first day he speaks to mark.

“so, don’t flowers have meanings? what’s this one?”

he holds a small bundle of colorful flowers out to mark, who has to put down the large pot he’s carrying to look up at the stranger. he has a soft smile and curious eyes that flick between mark and the flowers in his hands.

mark tells him that they’re plumerias, they mean new beginnings.

the stranger beams.

✽

mark learns that his name is jackson only a minute before he’s walking out of the store, hand up in a wave as a _catch you later, mark_ echoes through the shop. a newly bought bunch of plumerias sits in mark’s hand.

✽

“did that thug just give you a flower?”

mark doesn’t hesitate to spray youngjae with water.

✽

jackson takes approximately three seconds from the moment he enters the shop the next day to make a beeline for the checkout counter. it’s amazing how fast he stops his momentum, planting his hands on the counter and leaning towards mark, who stands startled behind the counter.

“alright, mark. let’s talk about flowers.”

mark is still in mild shock when jackson laughs at his expression; a loud, high cackle that resonates off the walls. (youngjae turns around with an annoyed look on his face, mark doesn’t blame him).

he slowly follows jackson out from behind the counter, following the other boy who already found a pot of flowers to inspect.

“they’re dahlias, elegance and dignity.”

jackson nods, his eyes wide and staring at the flowers, and mark can see the gears turning in his head, committing it to memory. jackson moves his hand upwards, his finger pointing to a bouquet of pink flowers on a shelf.

“what about that one?”

“sweet briar roses, they mean simplicity.”

✽

mark ends the day with another wave and a single lily-of-the-valley _(sweetness)_ in his hand.

✽

jaebum smirks when mark tells him about jackson, three days after their first conversation. since then, the vase in mark and jaebum’s dorm has been home to a red and yellow rose _(joy)_ , a dahlia _(dignity),_ and a hibiscus _(rare and delicate beauty)._

"he either wants to suck your dick or he’s just nice. does it matter?"

mark sighs, and buries his face in his hands.

✽

jackson starts spending more and more time with mark. five minutes after lunch turns into thirty minutes of jackson listening to mark talk about the flowers in the shop.

mark doesn’t mind, not really, because he _is_ majoring in biological science and he _does_ spend a majority of his time working in a flower shop. he’s resigned himself to the fact that he’s not as good with people as he is with plants.

and though jackson has one of the loudest voices mark has ever encountered, he silently listens to everything mark has to say.

mark forgets how quiet his voice is when jackson’s the one he’s talking to, he forgets the anxiety of not being heard because jackson’s always listening.

✽

when mark receives his seventh flower from jackson _(elderflower, compassion)_ , he also gets a quick squeeze on his hand before jackson turns slightly red and shuffles out the door.

✽

mark’s knowledge about flowers doesn’t extend to the end of the earth, so they start talking about jackson. mark learns that jackson likes fencing and dancing and they’re only a year apart in age.

mark learns that jackson uses his hands when he talks and that his eyes crinkle when he smiles and that he bounces on his toes when he’s excited.

and that night, jaebum teases mark when he puts a fresh sprig of pear blossoms _(lasting friendship)_ into his vase.

✽

one day, jackson comes into the shop dragging a tall, skinny kid behind him. the kid is struggling in jackson’s grasp, his shoes helplessly scraping against the floor as jackson hauls him over to mark in the back of the shop.

“mark, we have to help this child.”

mark almost laughs at the look of distaste the kid shoots down at jackson.

“uh, sure. what’s your name?”

“we don’t talk about that.”

 

mark finds out that the kid’s nickname is bambam, and that he has a _very big, very gay crush that needs to be taken care of_ , according to jackson. he begins to pull bambam over to the roses as bambam protests in his arms.

“jacksonnnn,” bambam whines, “i can’t get yugyeom flowers, he needs to get them for _me_.”

mark watches as bambam attempts to escape again, making a beeline to the door. jackson’s on him in a second, arms wrapped around bambam’s skinny frame, laughing loudly.

mark wonders what it’d be like to have jacksons arms around him.

✽

bambam leaves the shop with a sullen face and a bundle of purple lilacs _(the first emotions of love)._

mark arrives home with too many thoughts and a sprig of canterbury bells _(gratitude)._

✽

youngjae warms up to jackson, after jackson starts helping out by carrying heavy bags of soil to the back of the shop.

youngjae hates transporting the dirt around on the days he wears a skirt to work. jackson reminds him that they work around dirt and that he should probably dress for the job. youngjae scoffs and points to the next sack of soil, jackson obediently picks it up and carries it away.

jackson’s presence in the shop is something mark gets used to. he knows to be ready at one fifteen every afternoon for a loud shout of _guess who’s here?_

mark always recognizes jackson’s heavy footsteps approaching the door a split second before he hears his voice.

_(violet, daydreaming)_

✽

“mark, i’ve heard so much about this guy from you that i could recite his goddamn life story. i need to meet him.”

✽

jaebum walks into the shop at one twenty the next day, takes one look at jackson, and walks right back out.

turns out jackson and jaebum had met before, playing basketball on the street courts near the university. clearly, whatever competition they had engaged in wasn’t over. it takes maybe two minutes after mark drags jaebum back inside for him to start arguing with jackson about who _really_ won that basketball game.

youngjae walks in right as mark smacks both of their heads to shut them up. jackson whines, and jaebum curses him out under his breath.

youngjae skips up to jaebum and introduces himself with a _“mark has told me so much about you, you don’t look nearly as grumpy as he said you are!”_

(there’s a look of pure shock on jaebum’s face as he registers youngjae walking up to him, from his long skirt to his dirt-smeared arms to his blinding smile. jaebum stumbles back as an enthusiastic hand grabs his own to shake it.)

mark and jackson burst out laughing.

_(delphinium, joy)_

✽

“mark, i’m coming with you to work tomorrow.”

“is this because of youngjae?”

“i have no idea what you’re talking about.”

✽

jackson spends so much time in the shop that nobody even questions it anymore, everyone just expects to see a loud boy chatting excitedly with the staff and, occasionally, customers.

(mark pretends not to smile when he hears jackson tell a little girl “ _pear blossoms mean lasting friendship, isn’t that cool?”_ )

✽

there’s a day when mark’s a little (lot) tired from staying up too late studying, nothing fueling him through classes and work but a single cup of coffee..

he really should have called in sick, just to get some extra sleep, but mark hasn’t missed a day of work since he started and he doesn’t plan on ruining his streak now. not when his boss is on his tail about _chatting with customers more than actually taking care of the flowers_.

he makes it a half-hour on his own without accidents and another with youngjae and jackson in the shop, but it’s not much longer before he bumps into the checkout desk and drops the pot he was holding, dirt and terracotta shards littering the floor.

“mark! holy shit don’t move.”

mark blinks slowly, and comes to the conclusion that he’s on his knees with his hands pressed into the broken pieces of the pot.

jackson’s there in a second, wiping the blood from his hands with a rag before mark even registers that he’s bleeding.

for once in his life, mark is ready to _scream_. he has to hold it in when jackson places small kisses over the bandages on his fingers.

_(yellow rose, apology)_

✽

mark never understood why jackson still came to the shop. it had been a long time since jackson stopped paying for the single flower he would give to mark everyday _(it can come out of the free ones i’m allowed to take home, there’s no need to waste your money, jackson.)_

it bothers him to some extent, that jackson seems okay with doing nothing but sit around a relatively boring flowershop all afternoon in mark’s company. it’s even quieter nowadays, with youngjae switching to the morning shift and spending his free time with jaebum.

mark looks over at jackson scribbling furiously into his homework notebook, and wonders. _why is he still here?_

✽

“why are you looking at me like that?”

mark peels his eyes away from the pencil that jackson is rolling between his teeth and looks up at jackson, who’s sending him a puzzled look. mark’s mouth starts moving before he can think of a response.

“why do you stay with me?”

jackson’s face goes blank.

“because..it’s the quietest place to study?”

and that, that hurts mark a little (more than a little) bit. he takes a sudden step away, and jackson’s eyes widen.

“no, wait, mark-shit that’s not what you were asking was it?” jackson shakes his head, “okay, wait, let me try again.”

“it’s because like…. you know?”

mark’s nothing but a bundle of nerves, yet he still manages a sarcastic _could you be a little less specific?_

jackson laughs and looks down at his shoes, then back up at mark. his eyes are tinged with worry and he’s wringing his hands together.

“well, okay, it’s cause i like being around you? is that better? you’re really funny even when you don’t try and you’re really nice to me even though you hate noisy people and i’m so loud that one time i yelled and a little kid started crying,” he takes a breath, “honestly, mark, i’ve literally given you a flower every day for two months. even yugyeom got the point after one bouquet from bambam and he’s about as perceptive as a brick wall.”

mark feels his hands shaking and his heart clenching as he stares at jackson. (for the first time in a while, it’s out of sheer happiness.)

“shit mark that was the cheesiest thing i’ve ever said in my life and you’re just gonna stare at me?”

mark had never been so happy that they didn’t have many customers.

✽

he decides that he might tell jaebum about how jackson grabbed him by the waist and dipped him into a kiss after his confession.

(he’ll leave out the part where jackson missed his target and ended up knocking their heads together.)

✽

“listen, i was trying to be romantic! i tried my best! i don’t have the coordination!”

“jackson, you have national titles in fencing.”

✽

nowadays, mark always has a vase of fresh flowers sitting on his nightstand.

_(violet rose, love at first sight)_

**Author's Note:**

> listen......why does youngjae wear a skirt???? bc i love youngjae in a skirt.
> 
> ahh i was thinking of doing a yugbam and a 2jae follow up should i ???? i dunno i mean this au is my baby i love it so much and theres so much i have planned
> 
> [update 2017: i'm still getting questions about the 2jae follow up but i don't think it'll happen. if any of you would like to pick the story up and write for it then i'dbe more than happy to read what you write!!! ]
> 
> super hella lotsa thanks to [nizhni](http://josuha.tumblr.com) for editing and being a cool cheerleader and also for the best lines of dialogue in this piece. you should check out her fics @joshua here on ao3
> 
> hit me up on tumblr [@hyunsoeng](http://hyunsoeng.tumblr.com) lets talk


End file.
